One More for Carlsen

A few days ago, he achieved his goal of winning the Tata Steel tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands with 10 points (wins count for one, draws for one-half) in 13 games.

Earned against an elite field of grandmasters, his 10-3 score was a proud achievement for the Norwegian chess nonpareil.

Although he wins virtually every event in which he plays, young Magnus is far from jaded.

From his remarks, his victory at Wijk aan Zee had special meaning. It was the most dominant of any first-place finish in the history of that celebrated event, except for the identical numbers posted by Garry Kasparov in 1999.

But there is a significant difference. Kasparov was 36 years old at the time. Carlson is only 22. (The discrepancy is hardly worthy of debate. Players are simply starting younger and maturing faster than ever.)

Records are made to be broken. Virtually all competitors concede that fact. But it especially true in chess — a game, sport and science combined, whose protean and evolving nature continuously pushes its acolytes to new heights.

As we have many times noted, today’s computers and the Internet offer young players advantages for developing their game that the Boris Spasskys, Bobby Fischers, Anatoly Karpovs and even Garry Kasparovs — the latter, a notable computer chess fanatic — never fully enjoyed, if at all.